An ‘EU Kids Act’ would require platforms such as Meta’s Instagram and TikTok to create a new type of account for young users.
The European Commission has proposed new legislation, which would restrict access to social media for anyone under the age of 15, Politico reported.
The so-called European Union (EU) Kids Act would set age restrictions for platforms, creating a tiered structure for the use of social media sites, which could also include games and AI chatbots.
This comes after months of pressure from governments, lawmakers, parents, and advocacy groups to protect children from harm with multiple lawsuits having been filed alleging that social media sites such as Meta’s Facebook and Instagram were designed to be addictive.
The EU’s proposal would be applicable to video-sharing platforms, social media, online games, and AI chatbots, but would not affect educational tools.
For advertisers across all verticals, including igaming, it will mean stricter rules around how campaigns and content is targeted. Although some experts have also criticised the incoming age restrictions as ‘messy’ for advertisers.
It is not yet clear whether children will have to create brand-new accounts as they move through the tiers, but if this was the case, it could mean personalisation and preferences data would be lost, therefore ad targeting could become weaker.
Countries such as the UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Greece, Indonesia have either already brought in legislation or are proposing to bring in social media bans for under-16s.
For countries inside the EU currently considering their own regulatory bans, it is not yet clear how the bloc’s proposals would affect them.
The Kids Act would not act as a hard ban on social media, but instead would create a system of controls, with different account types for young people of different ages.
For example, accounts for those under 13 would be opened by parents for their children, and would be completely controlled, with strict safety standards.
Between ages 13 and 15, accounts would have limits on screen times and contact with strangers, as well as additional parent controls.
Once they reach 15, children can set up their own standard accounts.
The enforcement of the systems will likely be similar to the Digital Services Act and the AI Act, with supervisory fees paid by the companies themselves.
Affiliate Leaders has contacted the EU Commission for a comment but is yet to respond.
